Life-preserver.



P. GEPACK.

LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1914.

1 ,1373391, Patented Apr. 27, 1915.-

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHO'Ic-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D C.

TTED TATES PATENT @FFTQE.

PAUL GEPACK, OF .MCKEES ROCKS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-EIGHTH TO JOSEPH ROMANCZK, ONE-FOURTH T0 JOSEPH WIENICKI, AND ONE-EIGHTH TO JOHN MODRANSKI, ALL OF MCKEES ROCKS, FENNSYLVANIA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 4, 1914. Serial No. 870,232.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL GEPAOK, subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at McKees Rocks, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in life preservers.

The primary object is to provide an encir-' cling float adapted for ready inflation and capable of being securely strapped around the body of a person for preventing the per-- son from sinking in the water.

A further object is to provide a sectional annular mounting means for oppositely arranged tubular floats and whereby the floats may be secured about the body of a person for wearing to prevent drowning.

A still further object is to provide separate tubular floats firmly maintained in separated positions and adapted to be secured to the body and provided with a manually controlled simultaneous inflating means to be actuated by the wearer.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same con sists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which likeedesignating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof through one of the spacing sections. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken through the inflating device, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the spacing sections detached.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, two tubular floats 10 are provided being positioned in parallelism and assuming substantially circular arrangement with the closed ends 11 of the floats slightly spaced apart.

A spacing means for the floats consists of the section 12 formed of some buoyant material such as wood or cork, the said sections being arcuate in form and having channels 13 positioned substantially centrally upon the opposite faces 14'.

The floats 10 it will be understood are formed of rubber or other suitable material and are circular in cross section and are adapted for seating within the channels 13 of the sections 12 as illustrated in Fig. 2 which thereby retains the two floats equally spaced apart, while the employment of the sections 12 in plurality and with their adjacent ends 15 flatly'spaced apart allows the floats to fit the shape of a body when passed there around. Encircling straps 16 are secured to the outer and inner edges of each section 12 as at 17 and bind the sections to the floats, the latter being encircled by the said strips. The end ones of the sections 12 are connected together by a strap 18 and by means of which the sections and floats are retained upon the body. Tubular pumps 19 are outwardly positioned upon each of the floats and whereby air is forcedinto the floats through the air inlets 20 thereof by means of the pistons 21 actuated by a turn crank 22 in a mannerthat will be at once apparent, it bein noted that the pistons are provided with inwardly opening flap valves 23 while said pistons are connected by rods 24 with the crank shaft 25.

From this detailed description of the device, the complete operation thereof will be apparent. The elements being assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the same is readily attached to the body of the person by the straps 18 either before or after the floats are inflated with air. By turning the crank 22 both of the floats will be inflated simultaneously to the desired degree and this may be accomplished after the device is attached to the body and worn as a serviceable life-preserver ready for immediate use. The floats may be provided with a deflating valve 26 and it will be seen that an inflation of the floats retains the same within the straps 16 and upon the sections, while the pumps 19 are connected by a brace 27 which is secured as at 28 to the outer side of the adjacent end section 12.

While the forms of the invention herein shown and described are what are believed to be preferred embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

said sections, and an: inflating device forv'thefloat.

2. A life preserver comprising aplurality of arcuate spacingsections slightly spaced apart and positioned in substantially angular arrangement and having: channels substantially centrally positioned upon their opposite faces, tubular floats positioned in parallelism within the said channels and having closed opposite ends terminating substantially at the adjacent ends of the terminal sections, retaining strapsencircling the said floats and sections and retained to the sections at their outer and inner edges, air pumps. projecting outwardly of said floats, means for simultaneously operating the said pumps a connecting brace between the said pumps and rigidly secured to the outer edge of one of saidsectionsand a strap retaining means for the device connected between the terminal ones of said sections;

In testimony whereof I afli x my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL GEPACK.

Witnesses I; KLAWLER, BLANCHE M. CURTIS.-

Copies of this patent may-be obtained for five cents each, by: addressingthe; Commissionerofsltents, Washington, D: 0. 

